If incorrigible media twat Nathan Barley did music reviews then he would undoubtedly describe the new Inner Shift release as ‘well Jackson’. Because not only is it really rather good, or ‘well Jackson’ in Barley-speak, it also happens to be by one of our favourite producers, the man aptly known as Jacksonville.
Coming off the back of an excellent contribution, The City Sleeps, to the recent Inner Shift various artists EP, Collective Continents, Jacksonville [or Chris Lyth, as he is better known to those that know him] gets the opportunity to flex his muscles, crack his knuckles and craft a four-track solo twelve of sheer quality entitled Fragments.
It’s fittingly named too as the EP neatly showcases and signposts just some of the strands that make up Lyth’s unquestionable ability and talent, from dancefloor-friendly cosmic house through to classic deepness and even live artist.
It is, however, the eponymous Fragment One and Fragment Two that combine to provide side one. Fragment One is the more muscular and danceable of the two, thanks to an irresistible bassline, insistent kick, mesmerising acid line and warm pads that float off way into the galaxy like an untethered cosmonaut.
Fragment Two is naturally more restrained, distinctly deeper. Lush melodic synths and an inviting bassline are the order of the day with the combination working an absolute treat.
Over on t’other side, as Yorkshire-born Lyth may or may not say, is Seberg; a satisfying slice of classic deepness culled from a specially-written live set. It’s all about the driving percussion and funky bassline here, interwoven with dinky earworm melodies that linger long after the track ends.
Continuing our love of the B side [what is it with saving the best ‘til last so often these days?], the EP concludes in tip-top fashion with the utterly gorgeous Every Single Word. Here Lyth, who also owns the excellent Doppler label, allows emotional strings and melancholic pads to drift delightfully and harmoniously around a chunky yet restrained kick punctuated only occasionally by the well-placed vocal snatch. Well Jackson[ville].
Check out:
Fragments EP @ Juno
For those that know, Boe Recordings has been one of the tidiest labels on the modern house underground for more than eight years already. Inspired by Chicago and Detroit, owner Ben Boe (aka Ben Parkinson) runs a tight ship and has cherry-picked now-rated artists either early doors or even ahead of the game, respected talent such as KiNK, Kris Wadsworth, Leif and Perseus Traxx.
His own productions have until now, however, been restricted to much-accomplished appearances on V/A releases on his own label, due in part to the man’s determination to get things just so. By his own admission, Parkinson is a bit of a perfectionist. But at long last he has reached the point at which he is comfortable in making what is, it must be said, an assured solo debut on the very excellent Leagues To Light Years EP.
It’s three tracks of superior-grade spaced-out deepness. Opening track Ganymede is a raw and bold journey that trips along with real purpose, burbling cosmic chords and swathes of shimmering intergalactic synths holding their own against the chunky kick and heavy vibe.
DEEeep-r does, perhaps not unexpectedly, exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a journey of a slightly more gentle kind, the heavy bass cushioned to perfection, the sub-aqueous layers mesmerising and the chopped-up vocal incantation to “go deeper, stay longer” pushing home the message. It is a truly absorbing and classy track and one of the best heard round these parts so far this year.
Rounding off proceedings is Atomic Fuzz. Breakbeat in style and with a more intense and heavy feel than the rest of the EP, it rather neatly underlines Parkinson’s undoubted range and ability, as well as portend very well indeed for future output from the Yorkshire-born producer.
Check out:
Leagues To Light Years @ Juno
Yore’s Andy Vaz doesn’t come across as someone to rest on his laurels. Onwards and upwards seems to be his mantra. Having kept the Cologne-based label purring like a finely-tuned sports car over the years with releases from the likes of Alton Miller, Kez YM, Rick Wade and, lest we forget, his good self too and in a variety of formats, flavours and varieties, Vaz marches on with another first for the imprint.
This time a single-sided twelve from hitherto little-known producer Flavio Diners. Two Timer (No Aass He Losin edit) began life a few years back as a strictly-limited stamped red vinyl white label. Now it’s back with the Yore gloss sprinkled all over it.
Still super limited, this time to 200 pieces on white vinyl, Two Timer is a certifiable one-sided super slo-mo funkified nu-disco bomb. Stretched over nearly nine glittering minutes, the track struts gamely and fabulously like a baby mammoth in a spandex bodysuit and afro wig. The seventies-style deep soul samples are bang-on, in keeping with the retro vibe and ambience of the piece, working splendidly alongside the gloriously flabby and rough-hewn kick. Oozing funk with a big F and with no small amount of soul injected either, Two Timer is something of a must-have if slowed-down nu-disco funk is your thang.
Check out:
Yore Records online
Two Timer @ Juno
It’s not often a mere seven inches puts such a wide smile on the face. But then it’s not every day that deep house don Ernie and his beloved Spanish label Minuendo put together a release of such rare quality on the old-school format.
Now it has and what is even more exciting is that the 24(7)26 EP brings together two of bringdownthewalls’ favourite artists; 2DeepSoul (aka Brad Peterson and Rai Scott) alongside Owen Jay and Melchior Sultana.
There is something about 2DeepSoul’s sound that fits glove-like with the aesthetic, output and philosophy of both Ernie in particular and Minuendo in general. The duo’s Earth Energy Part 1 EP for the imprint a handful of years back snuggled into the label’s catalogue with infinite ease and their contribution here, entitled Home, has the same organic warmth and comforting dream-like melodies. It may not be the thumping, easy-mix, one-dimensional house music that the kids crave these days but hallelujah for that.
Completing and complementing the petite package are Jay and Sultana, stalwarts of the Batti Batti label and erstwhile production partnership for a number of tasty imprints including Underground Quality, Contrast-Wax and Moods & Grooves. Much of their work together not only sits perfectly with Minuendo but has echoes of the 2DeepSoul sound too in that it often has a dusty, soulful and honest quality about it. Their offering here, Deserted, is one such track; jazzy, raw and, like this adorable little seven inch, instantly lovable.
Check out:
Minuendo online
Batti Batti @ Facebook
Inner Shift Music @ Facebook
24(7)26 @ Juno
It was the stunning deep house tribute to Gil Scott Heron craftily entitled Sleep Scott Heron some seven years ago that first brought the then-mysterious W & P Hgg to my attention. After some digging it transpired that the nom de guerre was in fact the alter ego of Hugo Giner, the man behind the intriguing Valencia-based label Cornuta Sound.
Yet despite essential follow-up releases on his own wonderful imprint and the ever-excellent compatriot imprint Deep Explorer, Giner fell silent and effectively dropped off the radar around five years ago..
Now he is back Lazarus-like from the deep house other side with a simply gorgeous EP, Down From Heaven, for the continually blossoming Mallorca-based label Hizou.
Devine EP opener Unique Soul is an odyssey of epic proportions. Its near 13 minutes of sun-soaked soul and warming vibes are stretched gloriously across the entirety of side A with maximum effect. Close your eyes and you could easily find yourself transported to a summertime Mediterranean beach, such is the impact of its brisk percussion, inspirational vocal sentiments and uplifting brass.
Over on the reverse side is Welcome, a more stripped down and intergalactic offering. Constantly shimmering keys, robotic vocal snippets and a beautifully cushioned bassline ease and tease the track gently and pleasingly along. It’s a fine piece of work in its own right but is nevertheless supported in style by a remix from new studio partnership Sons of Empire, aka Madrid’s very own masters of the deep, Dubbyman from the aforementioned Deep Explorer and Minuendo Recordings’ Ernie. They opt for a more perc-driven take, a touch more downbeat and funky by design with a little more beef about the bass.
As comebacks go, it’s a beauty. Don’t leave it so long next time Hugo.
Check out:
Hizou online
Cornuta Sound @ Facebook
Pre-order Down From Heaven EP @ Juno
Black Key are making a habit of head-hunting house’s hottest underground talent. BLM, Ethyl, Flori, Giovanni Damico and Milton Jackson are amongst those who have been drafted in for the cause so far and now the Brighton-based label have turned to the trusty skills of Brad Peterson for their latest vinyl adventure.
Smart move on the part of Black Key too as the Edinburgh-based producer once again produces a star turn with three tracks of undoubted quality and enjoyment.
Monsoon, a rollickingly good ride throughout it has to be said, paves the way with a thumping and thundering cosmic journey through the grey area between house and techno aided and abetted most ably by an infuriatingly infectious kick and a lovely little spaced-out groove.
For something somewhat less frenetic, the flipside double are almost trademark Peterson. Whether turning his hand to deep house, techno or a genre-bending hybrid, there is always a pronounced musicality, a hint of jazz even and a certain panache that marks out the gently-spoken American producer's output from so much of the pack. He’s at it again here.
Sit Back is a laid-back, loose-fingered and slightly melancholic take on the deep that has class running through it like the word ’Brighton’ through a stick of rock. Cloud Remedy is even more delightful, classic deep house with no more than a nod and a wink to the genre’s pioneers, notably the masterful Larry Heard. But it is distinctly Peterson and the man at his finest too, a phrase that seems to be ’on repeat’ when listening to his work these days. Long may that continue.
Check out:
Brad Peterson @ FB
Black Key Records @ FB
Frequency Resonance @ Juno
Good things come to those who wait. Apparently. It may well be true as new label DeepSystems seems to have been a long time in the making given that the man behind it, Matt Pond, is a familiar name to those of a certain musical leaning thanks to his long-standing and essential radio show of the same name.
Now Pond has finally taken the plunge and enlisted the help of collaborators, cohorts and chums for cracking debut EP, Systems 01.
Devoted entirely to side one is opening track Pieces Of A Puzzle from Tales Ov Rossi, a joint effort between Jon Gray (one third of the BitterSuite collective which includes Pond) and 1Dan, erstwhile Batti Batti artist. It’s a no-nonsense, heads-down chunky little mother, moody and broody in equal measure yet strangely enthralling and mesmerising. A slow burner for sure too but one well worth going the distance with and a suitably fine introduction to the new project.
BitterSuite’s joyous deep house sound is a familiar one round these parts thanks to outings in various forms on labels such as Finale Sessions, Swedish Brandy and the aforementioned Malta-based imprint Batti Batti.
So it is particularly satisfying to see the project - which on this occasion is actually Gray flying solo - take the reigns on the flipside with Familiar Currents Parts 1 and 2. He doesn’t disappoint. Part One is the more life-affirming, spiritually-rewarding and uplifting of the two versions, musically tight and expansive and with its groove most definitely on. Delightful.
Part Two is the more contemplative and introspective of the twins, no less accomplished mind you and ultimately just as deeply satisfying. Indeed, on rotation it delves far into the mind, body and soul to the point that when push comes to shove, it may even nick it as standout track depending on your musical persuasion. Highly recommended.
Check out:
DeepSystems @ FB
Systems 01 @ Juno
